The dog and the buck

An almost nightly occurance has been noted at my house. My dog Diesel is a beautiful, long, powerful Rottweiler, Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. He is 90 pounds of long, lean muscle. He can leap walls that are over 7 feet tall effortlessly. When he runs with me, he trots along happy to be free of his yard and out smelling the good stuff. I am in awe of his raw power and form. The last few nights just at dusk, Diesel has been begging to go outside. Thanks to the miracle of electric fencing, I open the door and let him out. To my amazement, he's been settling down on the pile of dirt near our half-completed stone wall, watching. Watching the neighbor's lawn through the split rail fence. Waiting. And just at dusk, along comes a 4 or 5 point buck. He knows Diesel is there. It's a game between them. The buck pretends nothing is amiss and forages under the crab apple tree where bunnies gathered earlier. Diesel, who tires quickly of this game, lets out a deep, rumbling bark to say "I'm here!" I marvel at the similarities in their hind quarters. They check eachother and inevitably, Diesel barks again. I think to say I want to join you, but I'm going to get beeped at and shocked if I do. Diesel now barks until the buck lets out a grunting noise and bounds away, effortlesly leaping the bushes and headed into the fields. I would love to see them run together, but know it would have a less-than story book ending. So, I enjoy these nightly meetings and think, yes, this is summer.